The head football coach at Lauderdale County High School in Alabama gave a number of students a lesson in bigotry recently when he expressed his distaste for "queers" and "big fat gorilla" Michelle Obama in the same breath.

Coach Bob Grisham, who also teaches psychology and driver's ed at the school, was caught on tape ranting about the cafeteria's "600-calorie" lunches, blaming them on "fat butt Michelle Obama."

He went on to call the First Lady a "big fat gorilla."

"Our country is going in the wrong direction, you'd better be aware of it," Grisham told his students. "And people running around like, oh it'll get better, it'll get better. No, it ain't gone get no better until things change."

Apparently unaware that "it gets better" is the slogan of a campaign aimed at gay teens who are bullied because of their sexuality, Grisham prods students to "call the superintendent and tell her" that "I don't like queers."

"I don't hate them as a person but what they do is wrong, it's an abomination against God," he continues. "I don't like being around queers."

Word did eventually reach Superintendent Jennifer Gray, who told the TimesDaily that an investigation into the remarks had been launched.

Reached for comment, Grisham told the TimesDaily that he "misspoke in a debate-type situation," adding that he has "no hatred toward anyone or any group," and "people that know my heart" know that.

But the Huntsville-based GLBT Advocacy and Youth Services isn't convinced, calling for Grisham to resign or be fired.